Different Paths: Chapter Three
by RB Cherub
Summary: Having picked up Turlough, the TARDIS continues on its journey, and Nyssa and Adric continue their blossoming romance, despite Nyssa's "condition".


Chapter Three

'Sorry about the wait.'

The Doctor looked up, a light smile hiding his underlying concern.

Nyssa looked paler than ever, as she sat down at the table.

'A woman's prerogative.' The Doctor said, his smile never wavering. 'Tegan's gone off without you, I'm afraid.'

Nyssa looked over at the dance floor; Tegan seemed to having a great deal of fun, and Nyssa could see a few men around her looking for a chance to ask her for a dance.

Adric was sat across from the Doctor. He had been avoiding her. The Doctor had tried to get them in the same room together, but one or the other had always found and excuse.

After a moment, Nyssa stood up again, walked around the table, and offered her arm to Adric.

'Dance with me.'

'What?'

'Dance with me.' Nyssa pressed. Adric shook his head

'You don't want me to dance. Remember Cranleigh Hall?'

'Adric, there comes a time,' she took his hand, gently pulling him toward the dancefloor, 'when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance.'

The Doctor and Tegan watched. Tegan was exhausted from her own dance session. The Doctor wasn't in the mood.

'He's good, once he's found his feet.' Tegan said, still out of breath.

'Hmm. I'm sure he'll say it's all down to mathematics.' The Doctor was poking though the salad, until he found a piece of celery that he liked, and swapped with for the one on his lapel. 'Everything boils down to mathematics in the end. At least we like to think so.'

'You feeling any better? That weird feeling you had?'

'Yes, I'm feeling better. But it hasn't gone away.'

'Maybe you need to see a doctor.'

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. Tegan stuck out her tongue.

The Doctor's gaze deepened. 'Maybe you should. You're looking a bit off-colour.'

'Well, a run-in with a dirty great rubber snake will do that to a girl. I'm fine!' Tegan stepped away from the Doctor, hands raised, 'I feel fine, right as rain, coming up roses!'

'Good.' The Doctor took her hand, and pulled her toward the dancefloor.

Tegan danced with the Doctor, while Nyssa danced with Adric.

'You'd never think that last week she was trying to tear my head off in the middle of the night.' Tegan said, regarding Nyssa as they danced slowly, with her head on Adric's shoulder. 'Are you sure she's okay?'

The Doctor watched her with Adric, and sighed. 'Honestly, I don't know. As far as I know, there's never been a Trakenite vampire, let alone one mutated by Alzerian blood.

'Well for a vampire, she's looking very healthy. I was expecting Count Orlock with curls or something.' Tegan pulled the Doctor back to the seats they had vacated not long before. 'I'm still locking my door securely at night. Nothing personal, but by the next full moon…'

'I understand. I'll have the draft excluders reconfigured to keep mist out as well.' The Doctor lightly massaged the bridge of his nose. Tegan looked back at him.

'I hadn't thought of that.' A thought suddenly occurred to her. She was surprised she hadn't thought it earlier, but now it was preying heavily on her mind;

'Where's Turlough?'

'Right over there.' The Doctor bobbed his head. 'Trying to avoid being seen.'

Tegan got to her feet. The Doctor lightly grasped her sleeve. 'Unless you're asking him to dance, leave him alone. We've had a good night, let's not spoil it now.'

Tegan finally relented, sitting back down again.

Turlough stoof in the corner, his hand in his pocket. The crystal in his hand was buzzing, and it took all his mental control to take it out find out what it wanted. But no. Not with Tegan still watching.

The night went on and the travellers soon returned to the TARDIS, each to their rooms.

When she was sure that the others were asleep, Nyssa crept silently from her room, stalking stealthily down the corridors until she found the bedroom she was looking for. Resting her hand against it, the lock clicked, and the door slid silently open.

Adric stood just inside, prepared.

They were woken by Tegan hammering on the door, yelling for Adric to wake up and face the new day. Nyssa stayed as quiet as she could as they found their way out of the tangle of bedsheets and dressed. Allowing themselves a final kiss, they stepped out into the corridor, once Adric had ensured that Tegan had left. As Nyssa doubled back to her room to change, Adric decided a quick trip to the gym would help him relax; and explain the perspiration that still clung to him from their long night of passion.

Rounding the corner, Adric walked headlong into Turlough, still dressed in his uniform, his mangled tie wrapped tightly around his neck.

'Sorry.' Adric muttered, stepping aside to let him pass; he was in no mood for a confrontation.

'My fault.' Turlough said with a curt nod, walking away; Adric could hear him speeding up, running back towards his room.

Maybe Tegan's distrust of him was justified after all.

After a quick round of the TARDIS' advanced gymnasium, Adric met with Nyssa. They walked hand in hand to the Console Room, only separating just before the door.

Both Adric and Nyssa looked weary as they came in. The Doctor glanced at them, and his gaze showed slight concern.

'Are you both alright?' the Doctor frowned, his blonde hair falling down his brow.

'Couldn't sleep.' Adric muttered, rubbing his neck and groaning.

'Neither could I.' Nyssa seemed as controlled and cool as ever, although Tegan suspected she was trying her hardest to repress a yawn. 'Where are we?'

'Ah.' The Doctor said, his tone unmistakable. That was the tone he used when he wanted them to think he knew, but in reality had less of a clue than they did. 'Well, the readout says we're on Earth. But it won't say when.'

Both Tegan and Turlough looked as clueless as the Doctor; there also seemed to be an invisible force between them, a kind of charge.

'May I?' Nyssa stepped around the console, peering down at the monitors.

'By all means.' The Doctor suppressed a yawn of his own.

Nyssa turned a few dials, pressed a few buttons, and made everyone else jump when she thumped the console with her fist.

'Pickin' up his bad habits, you are.' Tegan said with a smile.

Nyssa _hmm-_ed. 'Maybe the TARDIS can't decide when in time it is; could it be caught between two diametrically opposed time funnels? Perhaps the chameleon circuit's scanning protocols have initialised again.'

Nyssa looked around. All eyes were upon her. Including the Doctor's. 'What? It's a possibility, isn't it? You remember, when we tried to set down on Hogsmeade; the chameleon circuit's scanners kicked in, but the circuit itself was still locked. The scanner wouldn't let us land until it had reconfigured the ship's exterior to match the surrounding environment.'

'Is she often like this?' Turlough asked Tegan mutedly.

'She's always been smart, but I've never heard her spout technobabble like that before.' She replied just as quietly. Across from them, Adric was feeling an odd, pride-like feeling.

The Doctor finally responded. 'No, I already tried disconnecting the scanner; it's something else. I greatly appreciate the input, however.' The Doctor made to put his hand around her shoulders, but a small voice in his head told him not to. Instead, he stepped around her and started fidgeting with another part of the control board.

Tegan eventually got bored of the Doctor trying to figure out today's problem, so went back to her room and crashed out on her bed. As she drifted in the vicinity of sleep, she heard footsteps; someone was trying to be stealthy, and making a right pig's ear of it.

Opening her door a fraction, Tegan saw a flash of red hair, and decided to follow.


End file.
